Silvergoat
Senior Retro Guru
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Re:
Even Biopace rings have come round full circle again...
Even Biopace rings have come round full circle again...
Tyres, will we run out?
- Thread starter Gaddmeister
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Titiritero
Retro Guru
Re:
26" will not run out for several economic reasons. We still have spares for 27" wheels even though it stopped being a "standard" around the early 80´s and back then the bike production was way more limited (people had only one or 2 bikes, produced in limited quantities in expensive first world countries)
However, for 26" wheels:
-they were THE tyre for nearly all mtbs between 1980 and 2010, and many thousands afterwards.
-bike mass-production and far-east outsourcing happened on those years, so there are literally thousands of bikes everywhere around the world. If I had to guess, I would say that currently 85% of the world mtbs are 26", another 12% are 29" and the remaining 3% are all other sizes.
It's easy to think 26" is long gone when in the rides with your friends everybody seems to use 29" or 27.5", but remember they are rich guys (World average) on their latest toys. They probably have another 2 or 3 26" bikes at home. In our latest trip in India there was no other size than 26".
Apart what some already mentioned, that 26" might come back again when the industry has already pushed the 28.5", 27" or whatever they can, here there are a couple more proofs of the good health of 26" wheels:
-the Tech Info document from Schwalbe goes on explaining how each tire size is super-wonderful (and more sales for them) and indicates in the end they will continue to produce tires in ALL sizes (pag
http://www.schwalbe.com/en/catalogesfly ... 015_GB.pdf
-screenshot from CNC Bikes, one of the online bike shops I usually buy from. They currently have in stock 19 tyres in 27.5" size, 57 in 26" size, and 97 in 29" size (which includes also the trekking/road 700 size)
26" will not run out for several economic reasons. We still have spares for 27" wheels even though it stopped being a "standard" around the early 80´s and back then the bike production was way more limited (people had only one or 2 bikes, produced in limited quantities in expensive first world countries)
However, for 26" wheels:
-they were THE tyre for nearly all mtbs between 1980 and 2010, and many thousands afterwards.
-bike mass-production and far-east outsourcing happened on those years, so there are literally thousands of bikes everywhere around the world. If I had to guess, I would say that currently 85% of the world mtbs are 26", another 12% are 29" and the remaining 3% are all other sizes.
It's easy to think 26" is long gone when in the rides with your friends everybody seems to use 29" or 27.5", but remember they are rich guys (World average) on their latest toys. They probably have another 2 or 3 26" bikes at home. In our latest trip in India there was no other size than 26".
Apart what some already mentioned, that 26" might come back again when the industry has already pushed the 28.5", 27" or whatever they can, here there are a couple more proofs of the good health of 26" wheels:
-the Tech Info document from Schwalbe goes on explaining how each tire size is super-wonderful (and more sales for them) and indicates in the end they will continue to produce tires in ALL sizes (pag
http://www.schwalbe.com/en/catalogesfly ... 015_GB.pdf
-screenshot from CNC Bikes, one of the online bike shops I usually buy from. They currently have in stock 19 tyres in 27.5" size, 57 in 26" size, and 97 in 29" size (which includes also the trekking/road 700 size)
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kenaltobelli
Retrobike Rider
Re:
I fear for the plus tyres ,they can not be that much call for them
Once we all go back to 26 , or proper fatbike sizes buying a stock of 49/north dillingers would be dear at 150 a pop :facepalm:
I fear for the plus tyres ,they can not be that much call for them
Once we all go back to 26 , or proper fatbike sizes
buying a stock of 49/north dillingers would be dear at 150 a pop :facepalm:
WandsworthRouleur
Pace Fan
Re: Re:
Lack of being a full circle was always the problem, shirley!!groovyblueshed":hubn68uv said:
Re: Re:
Nope not really a problem as i love Biopace and although they may not be ideal for racing i still like using mine for cruising along and i use to have a BSO bitd which had such a severe ovalised chainset that Biopace actually feel's round by comparison :facepalm: ..
WandsworthRouleur":127laiys said:
Nope not really a problem as i love Biopace and although they may not be ideal for racing i still like using mine for cruising along and i use to have a BSO bitd which had such a severe ovalised chainset that Biopace actually feel's round by comparison :facepalm: ..
Titiritero
Retro Guru
Re:
This weekend I stumbled upon a video from Bike Radar about "mtb trends" for 2017. Among several useless "improvements" and some new "standards", apparently a new fashion coming up now are the 26+ bikes. It was not hard to imagine that, with the current Fat and Plus trend, it would be easier and cheaper to fit 26+ wheels in 27.5 bikes, rather than re-inventing the wheel trying to fit fat tires on those 27.5 specific frames.
So as somebody mentioned on this thread, we are slowly going back to square one with 26", to my joy.
Of course, what barely 2 years ago was an "outdated" or "discontinued" wheel size, now is "smaller and lighter than 27.5" (singletracks.com), "despite what the cycling industry might tell you, the 26in wheel is still the pre-eminent wheel size around the world" (bikeradar.com), "For those looking for more tyre compliance and a bigger casing in a quicker-handling and accelerating package, 26+ might be better for them than 27.5+,” points out Andy Skoglund, another Surly engineer" (bikeradar.com)
My personal opinion is different. They have realized they can't discontinue a wheel size still present in 80% of the world market, so better retreat and give them back 26" now that the 27.5" and 29" market is slowing down. In my group, while for some the 29" has been great due to their height, to others with smaller body the bigger wheel sizes make them look like they stole the bike from their biggest brother/sister.
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-ge ... -momentum/
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/artic ... -26-47024/
This weekend I stumbled upon a video from Bike Radar about "mtb trends" for 2017. Among several useless "improvements" and some new "standards", apparently a new fashion coming up now are the 26+ bikes. It was not hard to imagine that, with the current Fat and Plus trend, it would be easier and cheaper to fit 26+ wheels in 27.5 bikes, rather than re-inventing the wheel trying to fit fat tires on those 27.5 specific frames.
So as somebody mentioned on this thread, we are slowly going back to square one with 26", to my joy.
Of course, what barely 2 years ago was an "outdated" or "discontinued" wheel size, now is "smaller and lighter than 27.5" (singletracks.com), "despite what the cycling industry might tell you, the 26in wheel is still the pre-eminent wheel size around the world" (bikeradar.com), "For those looking for more tyre compliance and a bigger casing in a quicker-handling and accelerating package, 26+ might be better for them than 27.5+,” points out Andy Skoglund, another Surly engineer" (bikeradar.com)
My personal opinion is different. They have realized they can't discontinue a wheel size still present in 80% of the world market, so better retreat and give them back 26" now that the 27.5" and 29" market is slowing down. In my group, while for some the 29" has been great due to their height, to others with smaller body the bigger wheel sizes make them look like they stole the bike from their biggest brother/sister.
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-ge ... -momentum/
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/artic ... -26-47024/
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